Track season starts this weekend at home

The Columbia Falls track teams look to be strong this year, with plenty of returning athletes.

On the girls side, the Wildkats will look for good things from long-distance runner Samantha Mundel, who took the 1,600 meter Northwest A divisional title last year and was fifth in the 3,200 meters at the state Class A meet.

The girls also get back sprinter Morgan Christianson, who was out last season with a leg injury but should return in good form this year.

The girls also have talent in the field from returning throwers Haley Belgarde and Andrea Getts. Belgarde took sixth at state last year in the shot put, and Getts took sixth in the shot put, coach Jamie Heinz said.

Junior Carla Nicosia should make her mark in the jumping events. Nicosia took third in the triple jump last year, missing a state title by just three-quarters of an inch. She’s been working hard all winter long, competing unattached in regional indoor meets.

On the boys side, junior Ty Morgan should be strong in the javelin. Last year, he took second in event at state.

Senior Nakia Alexander is expected to do well in the long and triple jumps. Last year, he won the divisional title in the triple jump, but he fell short at the state meet.

But as teams, both the girls and boys will face tough competition in the conference and at state. The Whitefish boys won the state title last year and have a shot at another title this year. Whitefish and Polson are always tough opponents locally. On the state level, the team to beat for the girls is likely Corvallis.

Heinz is assisted by coaches Kelly Houle, Jackson Schweikert, Mark Beckwith, Jim Peacock and Coleen Finberg. The teams open their season Saturday, April 12, at home with the Columbia Falls Iceberg Invitational. Events start at 10 a.m.